News

Sam Proves A Class Above

6th Nov 2008

Samantha Miss cemented her place as Australia’s dominant three-year-old filly and put herself in the Horse of the Year frame with a dominant display in today’s $1million G1 VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington.

SAMANTHA MISS ($1.5million 2007 Easter, 3f Zabeel-Milliyet) is now the winner of seven races in 11 starts for earnings of $1.72million.

The Kris Lees trained filly is worth many times that figure as a broodmare though and has proven a wonderful investment for owner Ron Croghan.

Samantha Miss was reared at Glenn Burrows’ Willow Park Stud, who will offer an Anabaa half-sister to her at next year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

In winning today, Samantha Miss became the first filly since Slight Chance in 1992 to complete the Flight Stakes-VRC Oaks double.

The previous filly to achieve that feat was Research (1988), who later went on to Horse of the Year honours after continuing her outstanding form through the autumn.

Samantha Miss is the only filly to complete all four legs of the Princess Series in Sydney before claiming the VRC Oaks, further underlining the wonderful durability she has shown this campaign.

Lees said Samantha Miss would stick to taking on the fillies in the autumn as “they’re only three once” before preparing her for another tilt at the Cox Plate in 2009 after her brave run for third at Moonee Valley last month.

In the following race, STOKEHOUSE ($100,000 2007 Premier, 3g Anabaa-Malapert) completed a race-to-race stakes double for Inglis graduates when claiming the Listed Myer Spring Fashion Stakes.

Stokehouse was offered for sale by Vinery Stud and secured by Mark Pilkington and is notable for being the first stakes winner for Champion Sire Encosta De Lago as a broodmare sire.

While Samantha Miss may have been among the most expensive yearlings of her year, at the other end of the scale, hardy performer ROCKPECKER ($1250 2004 June Weanling, 5g Made Of Gold-Gaelic Waltz) rounded out a great day for Inglis graduates with his win in the Sunrise Cup.

The win took the Rockpecker’s prizemoney haul beyond the $260,000 mark.

The Inglis stakes winning haul also extended to Hawkesbury today, where BLESSUS ($225,000 2004 Easter, 6g Fusaichi Pegasus-Blessed Be) took out the Listed Share Yalumba Cup (1300m), taking his record to six wins for $278,000.